St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of June 11, 2012

Updated Saturday, June 16

[Looking for auditions and other artistic opportunities? Check out the St. Louis Auditions site.]

For information on events beyond this week, check out the searchable database at the Regional Arts Commission's ArtsZipper site.

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Ain't Misbehavin'

Stages St. Louis presents the "Fats" Waller musical Ain't Misbehavin' through July 1. Performances take place in the Robert G. Reim Theatre at the Kirkwood Community Center, 111 South Geyer Road in Kirkwood . For more information, visit stagesstlouis.org or call 314-821-2407. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Alice in Wonderland

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents the St. Louis premiere of Alice in Wonderland, with music by Unsuk Chin and libretto to David Henry Hwang, in rotating repertory with three other operas through June 23. Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. All performances are sung in English with projected English text. For more information, you may visit experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

And the World Goes Round

Insight Theatre Company presents the Kander and Ebb musical revue And the World Goes Round through June 24. Performances take place in the Heagney Theatre, 530 East Lockwood on the campus of Nerinx Hall High School in Webster Groves. For more information, call 314-556-1293 or visit insighttheatrecompany.com.

Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville's Cougar Theater Company for Young People presents The Big Bad Musical on Saturday, June 16, at 2 and 7 PM in the Metcalf Theatre on the campus in Edwardsville, IL. For more information, call 618-650-2774.

OnSite Productions presents Bowling Epiphany - The Revival! by Carter Lewis through June 30. Performances take place at Epiphany Lanes, 3164 Ivanhoe Avenue. For more information, visit onsitetheatre.org or call 314-686-0062.

The Pub Theater Company presents Bye Bye Liver: The St. Louis Drinking Play, a comedic romp through the joys and pitfalls of The Gateway to the West's favorite pastime. Performances take place on Saturdaysat 9 PM at Maggie O'Brien's, 2000 Market Street. For more information, you may call 314-827-4185, email stlouis at byebyeliver.com, or visit byebyeliver.com/stlouis.

Carmen

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Bizet's Carmen in rotating repertory with three other operas through June 23. Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. All performances are sung in English with projected English text. For more information, you may visit experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Marble Stage Fairy Tale Theatre presents Cinderella Investigated Saturdays at noon through June 30 at Southampton Presbyterian Church, 4716 Lackland. For more information, call 314-437-0846 or visit www.marblestage.org.

Cosi fan Tutte

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Mozart's Cosi fan Tutte in rotating repertory with three other operas through 22. Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. All performances are sung in English with projected English text. For more information, you may visit experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

ACT Inc. presents the comedy The Damask Cheek by John Van Druten and Lloyd Morris Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM, June 21 through 24. Performances take place at the Fontbonne Fine Arts Theatre and the campus at 6800 Wydown. For more information, call 314-725-9108 or visit actinc.biz. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

The Monroe Actors Stage Company presents the comedy Dearly Beloved through June 24 in the Historic Capitol Theatre in downtown Waterloo, Illinois. For more information, visit www.masctheatre.org or call 618 939 7469.

The Gateway Men's Chorus presents ExtraABBAganza, a tribute to the music of ABBA, on Saturday, June 16, at 8 PM. Al Fischer is pianist and music director for the evening. The performance takes place at the Edison Theatre on the Washington University campus. For more information, visit gatewaymenschorus.org.

High Fidelity

New Line Theatre presents the rock musical High Fidelity Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM through June 21. Performances take place at the Washington University South Campus Theatre, 6501 Clayton Road. For more information, call 314-534-1111. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

The Black Rep presents Insidious, “a torrid dark comedy of down-low terrorism in the age of AIDS,” through June 24. Performances take place at the Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square. For more information, visit theblackrep.org or call 314-534-3810 Read the 88.1 KDHX review!.

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis presents Othello nightly except for Tuesdays through June 17. Performances take place in Shakespeare Glen next to the Art Museum in Forest Park. Curtain time is 8 PM, with the Green Show starting at 6:30 PM. For more information, visit sfstl.com. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Sweeney Todd

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Sondheim's Sweeney Todd in rotating repertory with three other operas through June 24. Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. All performances are sung in English with projected English text. For more information, you may visit experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

ACT Inc. presents Travels With My Aunt, based on the novel by Graham Greene, Saturday at 8 PM and Sunday at 2 PM, June 16 and 17. Performances take place at the Fontbonne Fine Arts Theatre and the campus at 6800 Wydown. For more information, call 314-725-9108 or visit actinc.biz. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Nino and Yo-Yo

Circus Flora presents its brand new show, The Wizard: Merlin and the Legends of King Arthur through June 24 under the air-conditioned, red-and-white, big top tent in Grand Center next to Powell Hall. For more inforamtion, visit circusflora.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

007 at 50

Who: The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra conducted by Michael Krajewski with vocalist Debbie Gravitte
What: Bond and Beyond: 50 Years of 007
When: June 2, 2012
Where: Powell Symphony Hall

James Bond: I admire your courage, Miss...?
Sylvia Trench: Trench. Sylvia Trench. I admire your luck, Mr...?
James Bond: Bond. James Bond.

Has it really been fifty years since I first heard Sean Connery and Eunice Grayson utter those words in Dr. No? The theatre where I saw the movie (the Loew’s State) is long gone but the cinematic incarnations of Ian Fleming’s tough guy spy continue. The films have had their ups and downs over the years, reaching their nadir during the Roger Moore years when they became little more than live-action Roadrunner cartoons, but no matter how bad the movie the music has nearly always been first rate.

The touring pops concert package Bond and Beyond: 50 Years of 007, presented by the St. Louis Symphony last night (June 2nd, 2012), showcased some of best-known moments from a half century of Bond films along with some more or less related material. Personally, I think there’s enough A-list music in the Bond films to make the non-Bond music irrelevant, but there’s no denying that the whole package was highly entertaining.

Guest conductor Michael Krajewski, a veteran of the pops concert circuit, presided over the evening with a wit as dry as a vodka martini (shaken, not stirred). His droll asides made for a nice contrast with vocal soloist Debbie Gravitte’s lively Broadway diva persona. Ms. Gravitte, for her part, had the legit belter voice so essential for Bond themes like “Diamonds Are Forever” and “Goldfinger” (associated as they are with robust tones of British singer Shirley Bassey) and the kind of dance moves you’d expect from someone with her impressive musical theatre background. Her array of colorful costumes—a different one for each song—added some fun visual flash. The ‘60s “go-go” outfit for “Secret Agent Man” was especially striking.

The program included the “greatest hits” you’d expect. In addition to those title songs from Goldfinger and Diamonds Are Forever, we had “The World is Not Enough” (sung by Ms. Gravitte) and instrumental versions of "From Russia With Love" and "You Only Live Twice", with its pseudo-Japanese touches. I especially enjoyed the suite of action music from David Arnold's scores for Quantum of Solace and the 2006 version of "Casino Royale" with its aerobic workout for the percussion section and the concluding "Best of 007" medley of Bond theme songs that brought to audience to their feet for a rousing ovation.

The highlight of the non-Bond music, at least for me, was Jim Stephenson’s comic Cell Phone Concerto, in which the orchestra spins a series of variations on cell phone ring tones played by the soloist. Helen Hoepfner of the symphony box office staff did the honors. Her comic timing was impeccable. The selections from the Pink Panther films were also welcome, with a classy tenor sax solo by Paul DeMarinis.

Finally, let me offer this footnote or those of you who, like me, saw the “Best of 007” as a trivia challenge. The themes were, in order: “The James Bond Theme,” “Nobody Does it Better” (from The Spy Who Loved Me), “Live and Let Die,” “For Your Eyes Only,” “The Look of Love” (from the goofy 1967 version of Casino Royale), “The 007 Theme,” and “Thunderball”. Yes, I have seen all of the Bond films, even the really stinky ones.

Post-season concerts at Powell Hall continue with Sounds Of New Orleans: A Tribute To Louis Armstrong on Saturday, June 9th, at 7:30 PM and Classical Mystery Tour: A Tribute To The Beatles on Friday, June 22nd, at 8 PM. Be aware that Circus Flora’s presence on the Powell Hall lot means that parking is at a premium, so you may want to allow extra time for that. If your musical tastes are more adventurous, symphony musicians are also performing in the Pulitzer Contemporary Music Festival on June 14th, 16th, and 17th at the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts, 3716 Washington. For more information on all these events, you may visit stlsymphony.org.

Chuck's Choices for the weekend of June 8, 2012

As always, the choices are purely my personal opinion. Take with a grain (or a shaker) of salt.

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New this week:

R-S Theatrics presents a Bill Cain's 9 Circles, based on Dante's Divine Comedy, at 8 PM Friday and Saturday and 7 PM Sunday. Performances take place at the Black Cat Theatre, 2810 Sutton in Maplewood. This is another one I won't get to see, but in her review for 88.1 KDHX, Andrea Braun says that it's "a rare play that dares to challenge us and our assumptions as much as this one does, and the experience of it is profound."  On offshoot of Soundstage Productions, R-S Theatrics has been making a name for itself doing unusual and risky material  For more information, you may email RSTheatrics at yahoo.com or call 314-968-8070.

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Mozart's Cosi fan Tutte in rotating repertory with three other operas through June 22. Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. All performances are sung in English with projected English text. As I noted in my review for 88.1 KDHX, I don't think director Michael Shell has completely solved the problems posed for modern audiences by Da Ponte's casually misogynistic libretto, but at least he tries, and the cast, chorus, and orchestra are just splendid.  For more information, you may visit experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644

Held over:

Kendall Gladen

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Bizet's Carmen in rotating repertory with three other operas through June 23. Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. The production is set in the 1940s, with the look of classic film noir, all the way down to the black and white costume and set designs and an opening cinematic credit sequence. The concept doesn't always work, but it succeeds often enough to be worth seeing.  Besides, you won't want to miss St. Louis's own Kendall Gladen's smoky performance in the title role and the great work by conductor Carlos Izcaray and the St. Louis Symphony musicians. For more details, check out my review for 88.1 KDHX. All performances are sung in English with projected English text, although the chorus enunciates so clearly it's rarely necessary. For more information, you may visit experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644.

New Line Theatre presents the rock musical High Fidelity Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM through June 21. Performances take place at the Washington University South Campus Theatre, 6501 Clayton Road. I'm determined to finally catch this reprise of New Line's highly successful production of this show. I've been an admirer of the cast recording for years and Jeff Wright strikes as me as ideal for the lead role of the owner of the "last real record store on earth." In his review for 88.1 KDHX, Robert Mitchell says "if rockin’ music with a good story is your idea of great entertainment, plan on seeing New Line’s High Fidelity." For more information, call 314-534-1111.

Sweeney prepares Judge Turpin
for a close shave

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Sondheim's Sweeney Todd in rotating repertory with three other operas through June 24. Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. I've been waiting for many years for Opera Theatre to take a crack at this most operatic of all Sondheim's musical theatre works. Director Ron Daniels and set designer Riccardo Hernandez have made of couple of missteps (see my review for 88.1 KDHX for details) but on the whole this is the Sweeney Todd many of us have been waiting for. All performances are sung in English with projected English text. For more information, you may visit experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644.

Nino and Yo-Yo

Circus Flora presents its brand new show, The Wizard: Merlin and the Legends of King Arthur, through June 24 under the air-conditioned, red-and-white, big top tent in Grand Center next to Powell Hall. Sadly, I'm going to miss Circus Flora this year but it past seasons are any indication, there will be fun for all. For more information, visit circusflora.org.

Everybody's doin' it now

Who: Opera Theatre of St. Louis
What: Cosi fan tutte
Where: The Loretto-Hilton Center
When: June 4-22, 2012

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Would we still be doing Cosi fan Tutte if it didn't have music by Mozart? Sure, Da Ponte’s libretto has a cynical modern edge, but its casual sexism is pretty grating to a contemporary audience. Director Michael Shell nevertheless makes a good case for it right up to the final ensemble, when his deliberately revisionist take lost me completely. Still, it’s beautifully sung and played and intelligently acted, and that’s what really matters.

Cosi fan tutte roughly translates as "all women are like that". The excellent modern English rhyming translation by British composer and director Jeremy Sams tries to take a bit of the anti-woman sting out of it by translating it as “we’re all like that”, but there’s no getting around the fact that the libretto is far more critical of the constancy of women. The guys get a free pass.

For those of you new to it, the plot of Cosi goes like this: two army officers, Ferrando and Guglielmo, are so convinced of the faithfulness of their fiancées—Dorabella and her sister Fiordiligi, respectively—that they accept a bet from their cynical philosopher friend Don Alfonso that the women can't be seduced. Don Alfonso convinces the boys to go away on a mock military expedition and then return in disguise and attempt to woo each other’s fiancées. The usual complications ensue, helped along by the wily and very practical maid Despina. It’s all wrapped up with a not entirely convincing happy ending in which everyone rather improbably agrees to forgive and forget, but only after the disillusioned officers are forced to admit, in the words of Sherlock Holmes, that "women are never to be entirely trusted—not the best of them."

This may sound like the basis for a romantic comedy, and most of the time it is. But Cosi sails deeper waters than that, and in Act II the comedy stops dead for some dramatic arias that point out the very real pain and guilt that come with betrayal—a subject very much on Mozart’s mind at the time. Mr. Shell and his excellent cast make no attempt to sugar-coat any of the drama, which works very well, but faced with the abrupt shift to a happy ending, he has chosen to have them play against the text and make it plain that the women are still justifiably resentful and their fiancées still suspicious. I understand the logic, but to me if felt no more satisfying than playing the finale as written.

Part of the problem, I think, is that this Cosi is beautifully set and costumed (by James Schuette) as a late 18th-century period piece, so having Dorabella and Fiordiligi respond to the abusive behavior of Ferrando and Guglielmo as modern women would seems jarring. It would have made more sense, I think, to do the whole thing in modern dress (which, after all, is how it was done in 1790) and adopt a 21st-century attitude from the start. Jonathan Miller famously (or maybe infamously) did that back in 1995. That production has been revived often (most recently in Washington, D.C, earlier this year) but it has been (to say the least) controversial, others might be reluctant to follow his example.

Still, for the three hours and ten minutes preceding that final ensemble, Opera Theatre’s Cosi fan tutte is firing on all cylinders. The comedy of the first act is hilarious and precise, the dramatic scenes in the second act are played with great feeling, and the voices of this very strong cast are solid. Mr. Shell is a bit overly fond of having his cast stand on furniture and roll around on the floor (although less so than in last season’s Don Giovanni), but on the whole he keeps the action plausible and motivated in ways that more opera directors would do well to emulate.

Tenor David Portillo and baritone Liam Bonner make a great “Mutt and Jeff” comedy duo as Guglielmo and Ferrando. Mr. Portillo has a very impressive head voice, which he uses to great effect in the more dramatic moments in the second act, while Mr. Bonner’s instrument is clear and powerful voice throughout its range. They blend nicely in their ensembles.

Soprano Rachel Willis-Sørensen makes an impressive Opera Theatre debut as Fiordiligi. The role is a challenging one, with some heavy dramatic lifting in the second act and florid passages throughout. She handles it all with ease. Mezzo Kathryn Leemhuis, who has done such fine work here in the past, continues her winning streak with an impeccably sung and acted Dorabella.

As the indispensable Despina, Soprano Jennifer Aylmer steals every scene she’s in, especially when Despina is passing herself off as a doctor or lawyer. Ms. Aylmer has terrific comic chops and a voice to match. It’s hard to imagine this role being done better.

Baritone James Maddalena is all manipulative insincerity Don Alfonso, a man in whose mouth butter would not only not melt but probably freeze solid as well. His voice seemed a bit lacking in power compared to the rest of the cast, but his acting was beyond reproach.

Robert Ainsley’s chorus is, once again, a model of precision and clarity. The orchestra sounded great under Jean-Marie Zeitouni, with an especially fleet-footed reading of the overture. I would have preferred it if Mr. Shell had refrained from filling the stage with business while the overture was playing, although I must admit Shaun Sheley’s fight choreography was impressive.

So, yes, I have some reservations about Opera Theatre’s Cosi fan tutte but they’re so minor in comparison to all the things that work in this production that I have no hesitation in recommending it. The comedy is uproarious and the drama is affecting. It is, in short, the crown jewel of the season so far.

Performances continue through June 22nd at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus. For more information, you may visit experienceopera.org.

As seen on TV

Who: The Presenters Dolan
What: Ken Haller: The TV Show
When: June 1 and 2, 2012
Where: The Kranzberg Center

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[Full disclosure: I have worked on stage with Mr. Haller in the past.]

A cabaret show based on classic TV songs and themes? Like activating the Bolonium Interface Device on Star Trek, it’s a crazy idea but it just might work!

In fact, Ken Haller’s The TV Show was a very clever idea smartly executed. Rather than simply throwing together a program of TV themes peppered with “remember when” nostalgia, Mr. Haller and his director Tim Schall assembled a highly personal journey seen in the flickering blue light of the “big, enormous twelve inch screen” that was the centerpiece of so many childhood living rooms for those of us Of a Certain Age. In The TV Show, nostalgia was a means to an end rather than an end in itself.

So, for example, Mr. Haller (a pediatrician who often appears on local TV discussing children's health issues) used a set of theme songs from shows about characters with special powers (I Dream of Jeanie, Bewitched, My Favorite Martian) to reflect on how those shows resonated with his growing awareness, rushing towards puberty, of his gay sexuality. “Bein’ Green” (from Sesame Street) became a meditation on being different and accepting it while the only non-TV song in the show—“Somewhere That’s Green” from Little Shop of Horrors—led into reminiscences of growing up in suburban Hicksville on Long Island. And “Let Me Be Your Star” (from Smash) underscored a touching anecdote about how his mother, after seeing a video of his Sondheim show, turned to him and said “you really are a star!”

That’s not to say The TV Show was all touchy-feely stuff. Mr. Haller was careful not to push the confessional aspect of cabaret too far, so most of the evening was a tremendously entertaining and often extremely funny romp through TV land.

There was a medley of Barry Manilow’s commercial jingles, for example (demonstrating his early talent for writing a tune with a great hook) and a reenactment of a particularly hallucinatory segment from Gilligan’s Island in which the castaways put on a musical version of Hamlet using tunes from classic operas. My own favorite, though, was “Yakko’s World” (from Anmaniacs), which involved rattling off all the nations of the world to the tune of “The Mexican Hat Dance”. No human could possibly memorize that, of course, so Mr. Haller made a very funny bit out of reading the lyrics off 3X5 cards and tossing them around the stage a la Rip Taylor.

No Ken Haller shows would be complete without a Sondheim song, of course. He was represented here by “Take Me to the World” (from Evening Primrose, the TV special that also gave us the lovely “I Remember”), which music director Al Fischer combined in a charming medley with Rogers and Hammerstein’s “Ten Minutes Ago” (from Cinderella).

Speaking of Mr. Fischer, his voice and piano were so much a part of The TV Show that it was almost a duet act. He and Mr. Haller clearly had a solid working relationship that resulted in an easy camaraderie on stage. Mr. Schall’s work was visible throughout the evening as well in the logical flow and pacing as well as in the canny use of the Kranzberg’s limited playing space.

The TV Show is over for the time being, but given the fact that both performances were sold out, I suspect a re-run may be in the cards. If so, you'll want to catch it.

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of June 4, 2012

Updated Monday, June 4

[Looking for auditions and other artistic opportunities? Check out the St. Louis Auditions site.]

For information on events beyond this week, check out the searchable database at the Regional Arts Commission's ArtsZipper site.

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9 Circles

R-S Theatrics presents a Bill Cain's 9 Circles, based on Dante's Divine Comedy, at 8 PM Fridas and Saturday and 7 PM Sunday. Performances take place at the Black Cat Theatre, 2810 Sutton in Maplewood. For more information, you may email RSTheatrics at yahoo.com or call 314-968-8070. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Ain't Misbehavin'

Stages St. Louis presents the "Fats" Waller musical Ain't Misbehavin' through July 1. Performances take place in the Robert G. Reim Theatre at the Kirkwood Community Center, 111 South Geyer Road in Kirkwood . For more information, visit stagesstlouis.org or call 314-821-2407.

Summerstage presents the Broadway musical Annie June 6-9. Performances take place at 1350 27th St. in Granite City, IL. For more information, call 618-451-1032.

The Pub Theater Company presents Bye Bye Liver: The St. Louis Drinking Play, a comedic romp through the joys and pitfalls of The Gateway to the West's favorite pastime. Performances take place on Saturdaysat 9 PM at Maggie O'Brien's, 2000 Market Street. For more information, you may call 314-827-4185, email stlouis at byebyeliver.com, or visit byebyeliver.com/stlouis.

Carmen

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Bizet's Carmen in rotating repertory with three other operas through June 23. Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. All performances are sung in English with projected English text. For more information, you may visit experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Cosi fan Tutte

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Mozart's Cosi fan Tutte in rotating repertory with three other operas through 22. Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. All performances are sung in English with projected English text. For more information, you may visit experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

ACT Inc. presents the comedy The Damask Cheek by John Van Druten and Lloyd Morris Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM, June 8 through 10 and 21 through 24. Performances take place at the Fontbonne Fine Arts Theatre and the campus at 6800 Wydown. For more information, call 314-725-9108 or visit actinc.biz.

Squonk Opera presents Edwardsville: The Opera as part of Xfest 3.0 A Festival of Theatrical Experimentation on Wednesday, June 6, at 7:30 PM. The performance takes place at the Dunham Hall Theatre on the Southern Illinois University campus in Edwardsville, IL. For more information, visit www.siue.edu/artsandissues/squonk.shtml or call 618-650-2774.

St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley Theater Department presents An Evening Of One Acts June 6-10. Performances take place in the Fisher Theatre on the campus at 3400 Pershall Road. For more information, call 314-644-5522.

High Fidelity

New Line Theatre presents the rock musical High Fidelity Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM through June 21. Performances take place at the Washington University South Campus Theatre, 6501 Clayton Road. For more information, call 314-534-1111. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

The Black Rep presents Insidious, “a torrid dark comedy of down-low terrorism in the age of AIDS,” through June 24. Performances take place at the Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square. For more information, visit theblackrep.org or call 314-534-3810 Read the 88.1 KDHX review!.

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis presents Othello nightly except for Tuesdays through June 17. Performances take place in Shakespeare Glen next to the Art Museum in Forest Park. Curtain time is 8 PM, with the Green Show starting at 6:30 PM. For more information, visit sfstl.com. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Sweeney Todd

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Sondheim's Sweeney Todd in rotating repertory with three other operas through June 24. Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. All performances are sung in English with projected English text. For more information, you may visit experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

ACT Inc. presents Travels With My Aunt, based on the novel by Graham Greene, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM, June 14 through 17. Performances take place at the Fontbonne Fine Arts Theatre and the campus at 6800 Wydown. For more information, call 314-725-9108 or visit actinc.biz. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Nino and Yo-Yo

Circus Flora presents its brand new show, The Wizard: Merlin and the Legends of King Arthur through June 24 under the air-conditioned, red-and-white, big top tent in Grand Center next to Powell Hall. For more inforamtion, visit circusflora.org. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville Department of Theater and Dance presents Xfest 3.0 A Festival of Theatrical Experimentation Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 PM, June 6-9, in the Dunham Hall theater on the campus in Edwardsville, IL. For more information, call 618-650-2774.

Bare bones

Who: Opera Theatre of St. Louis
What: Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Where: The Loretto-Hilton Center
When: Through June 24, 2012

If Opera Theatre of Saint Louis's Sweeny Todd isn't everything I could wish, it is (to quote an old joke) way ahead of whatever's in second place. In pretty much every way that really matters, this is (you should pardon the expression) a killer production.

I’ve been waiting for years—OK, decades—for Opera Theatre to tackle this most operatic of Sondheim’s theatre pieces. I’ve always wanted to hear this piece sung by legit opera/operetta voices. The ensemble, in particular, seems to cry out for the kind of strength and precision you get from a well-drilled operatic chorus. And I always figured OTSL’s deep pockets could deliver the kind of polished production values the show demands.

Now that the wait is over, I find that while I’m slightly disappointed with some of the show’s tech—in particular the decision to go with a mostly bare stage and a single-level set—everything else about this Sweeney Todd is so utterly compelling and theatrically on-target that I can recommend it without reservation. Whether you’re meeting the Demon Barber of Fleet Street for the first time or the tenth, this is a show that will stay with you long after the house lights have come up.

Let’s begin the catalog of this production’s strengths with praise for the stellar cast, headed by Rod Gilfry in the title role. Sweeney can be (and has been) sung brilliantly by musical theatre baritones like Len Cariou (who created the part) and George Hearn (who played it on the first tour) but there’s nothing quite like hearing a classically trained bass-baritone with a solid chest voice roll out those low notes. Mr. Gilfry is a fine actor as well, intensely focused and believably obsessed. His “Epiphany”, in which Todd finds his calling as a mass murderer, was unforgettable.

Karen Ziemba, a musical theatre actress with impressive credentials, is Todd’s partner in crime, Mrs. Lovett. When she came through St. Louis as Roxie in Chicago back in 1998, I praised her comic timing and charisma and suggested that she “could well be on her way to genuine super-star status”. Her subsequent career seems to have borne that out. Certainly her performance here is a masterpiece of comedy and connivance, with the sinuous movement of an experienced dancer thrown in for good measure. Operatic performers aren’t generally trained so well in stage movement, in my experience, so casting Ms. Ziemba was an exceptionally smart decision.

Baritone Nathaniel Hackmann and soprano Deanna Breiwick couldn’t be better as Anthony and Johanna, whose love story is the only plot thread that ends more or less happily. They’re in fine voice, completely invested in their parts.

If Opera Theatre ever decides to create their own version of The Three Tenors, they have a trio of winners in this cast. Kyle Erdos-Rapp brings a bit more depth to the role of Tobias than I have seen in other productions. His “Not While I’m Around” was especially intense, as was his final mad scene. Scott Ramsay had all the oily nastiness you’d expect as Beadle Bamford, along with a strikingly strong head voice and falsetto. His final notes in “Ladies in Their Sensitivities” could shatter glass. Anthony Webb has the same stratospheric reach as Todd’s short-lived rival, Signor Pirelli.

Bass-baritone Timothy Nolen underplays the role of the repellent Judge Turpin a bit, which ultimately makes him that much more menacing. He has a long history with the part, going back to a Great Performances broadcast in 2000, so it’s not surprising that he’s so comfortable with it. Mezzo Susanne Mentzer’s Beggar Woman has more depth than I’ve seen in the role in previous productions, so it’s a good thing that the staging gives her more prominence.

As was the case in Carmen, Robert Ainsley’s chorus sounded wonderful, with clear enunciation and a powerful, full-bodied sound. The chorus plays a prominent narrative role in Sweeney Todd, so it’s gratifying to hear it done so well. The St. Louis Symphony musicians under Stephen Lord were in fine form as well.

Director Ron Daniels has a long history with the story of Sweeney Todd. He and Christopher Bond were co-authors of the stage adaptation of the Victorian “penny dreadful” that inspired Sondheim and Wheeler to create Sweeney Todd in the first place. His work here is very effective until the final scene when he puts the chorus, still made up as lunatics from Fogg’s Asylum, on stage as mute witnesses to the final trio of murders. It draws focus and drains a bit of the scene’s horror. Up to that point, though, he seems content to stay out of Wheeler and Sondheim’s way and insure that all the comedy and drama are presented as clearly as possible.

Emily Rebholz’s “steam punk” Victorian costumes are a nice match for set designer Riccardo Hernandez’s bare bones industrial set, complete with a faux metal wall and plastic slaughterhouse curtains. My only complaint, as noted above, is that it’s all on one level. Usually Todd’s barbershop in on top of a unit with a trap door that allows his customers to be dispatched into a chute, emerging in Mrs. Lovett’s bake house. In the Opera Theatre production, bodies are flipped backwards and then clumsily hauled off by chorus members. I think it’s less effective, although your mileage may vary.

Minor complaints aside, though, Opera Theatre’s Sweeny Todd is the one that many of us have been waiting for. I’d put it right up alongside the Repertory Theatre’s production from several years ago, and that’s saying something. Performances continue through June 24th at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus. For more information, you may visit experienceopera.org.

Chuck's choices for the weekend of June 1st, 2012

As always, the choices are purely my personal opinion. Take with a grain (or a shaker) of salt.

Revised June 1, 2012

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New this week:

Debbie Gravitte

The St. Louis Symphony continues the post-season season with Bond and Beyond: 50 Years of 007 Saturday at 8 PM. "The STL Symphony takes you on a thrilling adventure through the music of James Bond and other secret agents whose mission is to save the day. Hear selections from classic films including From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, Casino Royale and The Pink Panther." Yes, it's quite a leap from the penultimate to the ultimate film in that list, so it will be interesting to see how they tie this all together. The symphony will be conducted by Michael Krajewski (Principal Pops Conductor of the Houston, Atlanta, and Jacksonville orchestras) with vocals by Debbie Gravitte, a legit Broadway belter who will, I hope, be singing the themes from Goldfinger and Diamonds Are Forever. As a fan of both the Ian Fleming novels and most of the Bond movies (I'm easily amused), I'm looking forward to this one. The performance takes place at Powell Hall, 718 North Grand. For more information, visit stlsymphony.org or call 314-534-1700.

New Line Theatre presents the rock musical High Fidelity Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM, May 31 through June 21. Performances take place at the Washington University South Campus Theatre, 6501 Clayton Road. I'm determined to finally catch this reprise of New Line's highly successful production of this show. I've been an admirer of the cast recording for years and Jeff Wright strikes as me as ideal for the lead role of the owner of the "last real record store on earth." For more information, call 314-534-1111.

The Presenters Dolan present Ken Haller's new cabaret act The TV Show, featuring songs and themes from classic TV programs. Al Fishcher is pianist and music director for the show. Performances take place Friday and Saturday, June 1 and 2, at the Kranzberg Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. I haven't seen the show yet, of course, but how can you not like this idea? I've worked with Ken on stage before and have had many occasions to admire his work as both a singer and actor. For more information, visit licketytix.com

ACT Inc. presents Travels With My Aunt, based on the novel by Graham Greene, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM, June 1 through 3 and 14 through 17. Performances take place at the Fontbonne Fine Arts Theatre and the campus at 6800 Wydown. Greene's classic story of a timid Englishman thrust into international intrigue by his Bohemian aunt was freely adapted into a charming film in 1972. This 1989 stage version uses a cast of four men to tell the tale, along the lines of the much-praised adaptation of The 39 Steps from a few years back. For more information, call 314-725-9108 or visit actinc.biz.

Circus Flora presents its brand new show, The Wizard: Merlin and the Legends of King Arthur, May 31 through June 24 under the air-conditioned, red-and-white, big top tent in Grand Center next to Powell Hall. Sadly, I'm going to miss Circus Flora this year but it past seasons are any indication, there will be fun for all. For more information, visit circusflora.org.

Held over:

Sweeney prepares Judge Turpin
for a close shave

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Sondheim's Sweeney Todd in rotating repertory with three other operas through June 24. Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. I've been waiting for many years for Opera Theatre to take a crack at this most operatic of all Sondheim's musical theatre works. Director Ron Daniels and set designer Riccardo Hernandez have made of couple of missteps (see my review for 88.1 KDHX for details) but on the whole this is the Sweeney Todd many of us have been waiting for. All performances are sung in English with projected English text. For more information, you may visit experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644.

Kendall Gladen

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Bizet's Carmen in rotating repertory with three other operas through June 23. Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. The production is set in the 1940s, with the look of classic film noir, all the way down to the black and white costume and set designs and an opening cinematic credit sequence. The concept doesn't always work, but it succeeds often enough to be worth seeing.  Besides, you won't want to miss St. Louis's own Kendall Gladen's smoky performance in the title role and the great work by conductor Carlos Izcaray and the St. Louis Symphony musicians. For more details, check out my review for 88.1 KDHX. All performances are sung in English with projected English text, although the chorus enunciates so clearly it's rarely necessary. For more information, you may visit experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644.

Over and out

Who: Masterworks Broadway
What: Tracie Bennett Sings Judy: Songs from the Broadway Production of End of the Rainbow

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The theatrical subgenre of celebrity impersonation has always been an odd duck. It’s easy to do badly, damned difficult to do well, and gets the impersonator little respect in any case. In fact, duplicating a performer’s on-stage persona in a way that will allow audience members to suspend disbelief and react as they would to the original is quite a challenge, especially when the performer in question is well represented on audio and film/video.

Judging from the praise she has received for her performance as the late Judy Garland in Peter Quilter’s play with music The End of the Rainbow, Tracie Bennett has risen to the challenge. In the New York Times, Ben Brantley praised her “electrifying interpretation”. The Huffington Post’s Mark Kennedy) said she was “so stunning that she manages to raise the dead”. Others have had similar praise for her performance even when they have found the play itself a bit monochromatic.

I haven’t seen the show, but judging from the original cast recording now available on Masterworks Broadway, Ms. Bennett has eerily captured not just the sound of Garland, but more specifically the sound of Garland towards the end of her career, when drugs and drink were taking their toll. To quote the Times again:

“In her terrifyingly manic, Ritalin-fueled “Come Rain or Come Shine” you hear not only the music but the rage that produces it.”

You don’t really hear that in Garland’s recordings from the period, in my view. But then, this isn’t an attempt to duplicate those recordings. It’s a look (albeit fictionalized) at the pain they masked. And on that level I think it works perhaps a little too well. At times, it’s difficult to listen to—not because Ms. Bennett has done her work poorly but rather because she has done it so very well.

The album consists of songs from the Broadway production of the play, fleshed out with new recordings by Bennett and members of the on-stage band of Garland classics not in the stage version, including “Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart”, “San Francisco” and “When The Sun Comes Out” (full track list below). If you’re a Garland fan you’ll probably want to add this to your collection; ditto if you have seen and enjoyed the show. For the rest of us it’s an interesting curiosity. The CD is available from the usual music outlets. You can also purchase the MP3 version at iTunes.

Track list:

1. I Can't Give You Anything But Love/Just In Time (Dorothy Fields, Jule Styne, Betty Comden, Adolph Green, Jimmy McHugh)
2. I Could Go On Singing (E.Y. Harburg, Harold Arlen)
3. Smile (Charles Chaplin, John Turner, Geoffrey Parsons)
4. Medley: The Bells Are Ringing For Me And My Gal/You Made Me Love You/The Trolley Song (Joseph McCarthy, Ray Goetz, Hugh Martin, George Meyer, Edgar Leslie, Ralph Blane, James V. Monaco)
5. Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart (James Hanley)
6. The Man That Got Away (Ira Gershwin, Harold Arlen)
7. Come Rain Or Come Shine (Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen)
8. When You're Smiling (Mark Fisher, Joe Goodwin, Larry Shay)
9. Somewhere Over The Rainbow (E.Y. Harburg, Harold Arlen)
10. San Francisco (Walter Jurmann, Gus Kahn, Bronislaw Kaper)
11. When The Sun Comes Out (Ted Koehler, Harold Arlen)
12. Get Happy/By Myself (Ted Koehler, Arthur Schwartz, Howard Dietz, Harold Arlen)

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of May 28, 2012

[Looking for auditions and other artistic opportunities? Check out the St. Louis Auditions site.]

For information on events beyond this week, check out the searchable database at the Regional Arts Commission's ArtsZipper site.

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R-S Theatrics presents a Bill Cain's 9 Circles, based on Dante's Divine Comedy, at 8 PM Fridays and Saturdays, and 7 PM Sundays, June 1-10. Performances take place at the Black Cat Theatre, 2810 Sutton in Maplewood. For more information, you may email RSTheatrics at yahoo.com or call 314-968-8070. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Ain't Misbehavin'

Stages St. Louispresents the "Fats" Waller musical  Ain't Misbehavin' June 1-July 1. Performances take place in the Robert G. Reim Theatre at the Kirkwood Community Center, 111 South Geyer Road in Kirkwood. For more information, visit stagesstlouis.org or call 314-821-2407.

The Pub Theater Company presents Bye Bye Liver: The St. Louis Drinking Play, a comedic romp through the joys and pitfalls of The Gateway to the West's favorite pastime. Performances take place on Saturdays at 9 PM at Maggie O'Brien's, 2000 Market Street. For more information, you may call 314-827-4185, email stlouis at byebyeliver.com, or visit byebyeliver.com/stlouis.

Carmen

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Bizet's Carmen in rotating repertory with three other operas through June 23. Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. All performances are sung in English with projected English text. For more information, you may visit experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Mozart's Cosi fan Tutte in rotating repertory with three other operas June 3 through 22. Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. All performances are sung in English with projected English text. For more information, you may visit experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644.

High Fidelity

New Line Theatre presents the rock musical High Fidelity Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM, May 31 through June 21. Performances take place at the Washington University South Campus Theatre, 6501 Clayton Road. For more information, call 314-534-1111.

The Black Rep presents Insidious, “a torrid dark comedy of down-low terrorism in the age of AIDS,” through June 24. Performances take place at the Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square. For more information, visit theblackrep.org or call 314-534-3810 Read the 88.1 KDHX review!.

The Wine Press presents guitarist Mike Krysl and singer Shuana Sconce in an evening of cabaret on Saturday, June 2, from 8 to 11 PM. The Wine Press is at 4436 Olive in the Central West End. For more information, visit stlwinepress.com.

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis presents Othello nightly except for Tuesdays through June 17. Performances take place in Shakespeare Glen next to the Art Museum in Forest Park. Curtain time is 8 PM, with the Green Show starting at 6:30 PM. For more information, visit sfstl.com. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Sweeney Todd
Photo by Ken Howard

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Sondheim's Sweeney Todd in rotating repertory with three other operas through June 24. Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. All performances are sung in English with projected English text. For more information, you may visit experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

ACT Inc. presents Travels With My Aunt, based on the novel by Graham Greene, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM, June 1 through 3 and 14 through 17. Performances take place at the Fontbonne Fine Arts Theatre and the campus at 6800 Wydown. For more information, call 314-725-9108 or visit actinc.biz.

The Presenters Dolan present Ken Haller's new cabaret act The TV Show, featuring songs and themes from classic TV programs. Performances take place Friday and Saturday, June 1 and 2, at the Kranzberg Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, visit licketytix.com. Read the 88.1 KDHX review!

Circus Flora presents its brand new show, The Wizard: Merlin and the Legends of King Arthur, May 31 through June 24 under the air-conditioned, red-and-white, big top tent in Grand Center next to Powell Hall. For more information, visit circusflora.org.

Chuck's Choices for the weekend of May 25, 2012

As always, the choices are purely my personal opinion. Take with a grain (or a shaker) of salt.

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The Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble presents Lanford Wilson's Burn This through Saturday at 8 PM. Performances take place at Black Cat Theatre, 2810 Sutton in Maplewood. SATE is a small but ambiltious theatre company that doesn't appear to shy away from the unusual. In his review for 88.1 KDHX, Bob Wilcox describes Burn This as "a strong production of a strong script." For more information, call visit slightlyoff.org.

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Sondheim's Sweeney Todd in rotating repertory with three other operas, May 26 through June 24. Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. I've been waiting for many years for Opera Theatre to take a crack at this most operatic of all Sondheim's musical theatre works. Director Ron Daniels has plenty of legit opera experience (unlike the director for A Little Night Music last season), so my expectations are high. All performances are sung in English with projected English text. For more information, you may visit experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644.

Held over:

Kendall Gladen

Opera Theatre of St. Louis presents Bizet's Carmen in rotating repertory with three other operas through June 23. Performances take place at the Loretto-Hilton Center at 135 Edgar Road on the Webster University campus. The production is set in the 1940s, with the look of classic film noir, all the way down to the black and white costume and set designs and an opening cinematic credit sequence. The concept doesn't always work, but it succeeds often enough to be worth seeing.  Besides, ou won't want to miss St. Louis's own Kendall Gladen's smoky performance in the title role and the great work by conductor Carlos Izcaray and the St. Louis Symphony musicians. For more details, check out my review for 88.1 KDHX. All performances are sung in English with projected English text, although the chorus enunciates so clearly it's rarely necessary. For more information, you may visit experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644.

Rounding Third

HotCity Theatre presents Richard Dresser's Rounding Third, “a comedic and scary look at raising kids in a world where winning is everything,” through Saturday. Performances take place at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, visit www.hotcitytheatre.org or call 314-289-4063. In her review for 88.1 KDHX Andrea Braun has plenty of praise for the acting, direction, and for the script itself.

En blanc et noir

Kendall Gladen

Who: Opera Theatre of St. Louis
What: Carmen
When: May 19-June 23, 2012
Where: The Loretto-Hilton Center

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Carmen as film noir? With a femme fatale heroine, a doomed anti-hero, and a netherworld in which cops (well, OK, the fascist Guardia Civil) and crooks meet, the concept behind Opera Theatre’s production has genuine merit. It’s not without its missteps, but strong performances by (among others) Aleksey Bogdanov as Escamillo, Corinne Winters as Micaëla, and—first and foremost—hometown gal Kendall Gladen as a magnetic Carmen make it work much more often than not.

In his program notes, director Stephen Barlow makes a strong case for turning Bizet’s 1878 opera into a 1940s black and white crime movie, complete with opening and closing titles. “The ominous world view of film noir,” he writes, “sits remarkably well with both Mérimée’s and Bizet’s Carmen, especially given that they all share the exact same theme: the impossibility of escape from a cold implacable fate.” Don José’s self-destructive obsession with Carmen also works in both worlds, as does the drama’s setting in the fringes of society.

In order for José’s fall from grace to work, though, there has to be some grace there in the first place. In the context of the original libretto the army is, at worst, morally neutral, and José’s sense of duty is actually admirable. When the army in question is the fascist Guardia Civil of World War II Spain, however, the equation changes drastically. In this context, that sense of duty and Micaëla’s determination to bring him back to it are, at best, naïve if not actually delusional. I’m also not convinced it makes sense to turn José into a murderer two acts early by having him shoot Zuniga at the end of Act II.

Changing the smugglers’ contraband from unspecified goods to undocumented immigrants (possibly refugees; it’s not that clear from the staging) also complicates the moral landscape. It’s one thing to be a tax dodger; it’s quite another to make a profit off the desperation of your fellow humans.

Still, the general idea is a good one and when this Carmen is firing on all cylinders the results are entertaining as hell. An excellent example is the crowd scene and pre-bullfight procession that open Act IV. There’s a pair of adorable tykes dolled up as a toreador and his lady, a statue of the Virgin, flamenco dancers, and finally an entrance in a vintage touring car and a shower of monochrome confetti by Carmen and Escamillo who sing their love duet to the microphones as part of a photo opportunity. It’s a neat demonstration of gaudy pageantry and mindless hero-worship that contrasts starkly with the upcoming deranged declaration of love from Don José.

All this is buoyed considerably by a mostly fine cast, a superb chorus with elocution so clear the projected English text was often irrelevant, and a first-rate orchestra of St. Louis Symphony musicians under the baton of the much-praised young Venezuelan conductor Carlos Izcaray.

The sine qua non for Carmen is, of course, a convincing performance in the title role—someone who can persuade the audience that she’s so utterly irresistible that she can bend every man she encounters to her will. In St. Louis native Kendall Gladen, we have all that and then some. Despite the handicap of a sinus infection on opening night, Ms. Gladen gave us a smoky-voiced and fiercely seductive Carmen whose dealings with the men around her bring to mind lyrics from the 1924 classic “Hard Hearted Hannah (The Vamp of Savannah)”: “To tease ‘em and thrill ‘em / To torture and kill ‘em / Is her delight, they say.” It’s not difficult to envision this Carmen “throwing water on a drowning man.”

Ukrainian baritone Aleksey Bogdanov is an ideal Escamillo—a preening, self-satisfied showoff who, unlike poor Don José, understands exactly what he’s getting into with Carmen. His Act II “Toreador” song has all the swagger and vocal flash you could wish for.

Former Gerdine Young Artist Corinne Winters makes the most of the “good girl” role of Micaëla, especially in her heartfelt Act III aria. As written, the character is painfully stereotypical—the virgin vs. Carmen’s whore—but Ms. Winters gives her a genuine soul.

Speaking of the Gerdine Young Artist program, current members of that program Shirin Eskandani and Jennifer Caraluzzi make a strong impression as Carmen’s friends Mercédès and Fasquita. So does Bradley Smoak (another former program member) as the arrogant Zuniga.

Vocally you couldn’t ask for a better Don José than Adam Diegel. His ringing tenor voice and clear articulation add much to the role. Dramatically, though, I found him less than convincing. His character seemed more petulant than tragic and his spoken dialogue came across as a bit stilted. Some of that’s in the libretto, of course, but even so, there’s more emotional range in Don José than we saw on opening night.

Set and costume designer Paul Edwards has carried out the black and white movie motif perfectly, with discrete touches of color (Carmen’s Act I flower and the neon sign for Pastia’s bar, for example) for dramatic impact. Christopher Akerlind’s shadowy lighting falls right into line, mimicking the shadowy look of those classic films.

The bottom line, then, is that while Opera Theatre’s Carmen is far from perfect, it succeeds often enough to be well worth seeing, especially if you’re a fan of the piece to begin with or just want to welcome a hometown gal back in triumph. The director’s concept may not always work, but it’s an intelligent attempt to put a novel spin on classic in a way that respects the world of the original, and for that I think it deserves our support.

Carmen continues through June 23rd in rotating repertory with three other operas on the main stage of the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus. For more information, you may visit experienceopera.org or call 314-961-0644.